Panda Lily
by order.golden.beak
Summary: Kataang. The Panda Lily was just like him. She just needed to point it out. My renamed Kataang II Week entry.


_Well, I missed last Kataang week, so I figured I should participate in this one!_

_Numero uno: Panda Lilies_

"Aang."

She sighed and looked down at the concrete ground. The boy in front of her looked dejectedly up at her from his sitting position. He was stuck in a corner, near a table that held only a vase.

"Is this where you go every night?" she asked quietly. He didn't respond. "What, you don't think I notice that you leave from our bed _every _night?" she pressed.

Aang just looked down, suddenly very interested in his hands. "I…" he trailed off, sighing.

"Why, Aang? What's wrong?"

"Katara," he sighed again.

"What is it, Aang? You have Appa and Momo and Sokka and Toph. You have me," she blushed lightly. "You seemed so happy in the Fire Nation. I thought you'd be even happier when we came back to the Southern Air Temple! I mean, it's your home and…" her eyes widened in realization.

Aang looked up at her warily. He looked out the window to where the bison would have grazed. His eyes shifted to the airball court. He swallowed thickly and lent his head into the nearby wall. Katara quietly sat down next him and rest her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

"It's all my fault."

"Aang, it's no-"

"It's all my fault," he repeated. "They'd still be here. He'd still be here." Aang snorted humorlessly. "I ran away. I ran away so that they wouldn't take me away from him." He snorted again. "I took myself away from him! Hell, I took them all away from the world! This universe! Poof! There they all go, to the spirit world. See you in the next life everybody!" He exclaimed, waving his arms around hysterically.

Katara looked at him, mouth slightly agape. She would never admit it, but she was scared, terrified even. Yes, she had seen her boyfriend in the Avatar State before, but never… like this. It was Aang, just Aang- not the Avatar. Yet, this was not Aang at all. No, this person in front of her was someone being consumed with guilt.

"His body was there! Right in front of me. And, you know what else?!" he continued, jumping up. "There were other bodies too! From the fire nation! At least a dozen of them! And they didn't kill themselves! No, no, no. Gyatso! He killed them! All of those bodies… those people. And then someone got to him. Blast! Oh, just another life. That's all!"

"Aang," Katara began gently.

Aang laughed.

"Just another life!" he repeated. "Not my mentor! Not my teacher! Not father for all intentions!" he paused. "Not my friend," he choked out quietly. "Not my friend. The only person who was always there. Always… always... there." His eyes widened and he began his hysterical rampage again. "No! No, he was just another airbender. Who cares?! They were searching for the Avatar! And they would do anything to _kill _him. To kill me! All of them. They killed everyone!" he pounded his fist into the wall. "The monks, my old friends, the bison, even the lemurs! And why'd they die?! Protecting me! The stupid little boy who ran away in a storm and got stuck in an iceberg!"

He laughed again. His laughs were hysterical. His arms were gripping the walls tightly, so that his knuckles turned white. He laughed… and laughed.

And he lost it.

He crumpled to the ground, sobbing into his knee. Katara quickly got up from where she was and wrapped her arms around him.

The seconds turned into minutes. Katara was positive that the shoulder fabric on her nightgown was thoroughly soaked. His frame was racked with sobs. She slowly rubbed his back and nuzzled her face into his hair.

"It's not your fault, Aang," she whispered. "It's been four years since you defeated Ozai. You've done so much for this world. You saved us all. We're all so happy you're alive and here today. Because… you would have died too, Aang. And the world wouldn't have made it," she cupped his cheek in her hand, and gently forced his teary eyes to look into hers. "Gyatso would have wanted things to be this way. And… I want things to be this way."

Aang closed his eyes rest his head on her shoulder once again.

"I know the monks are so proud of you right now. I'm proud of you. And you have friends everywhere. People who love you and want to be with you," she hugged him tighter. "I love you."

He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. Katara looked around the room, and smiled lightly when she set her eyes on the vase filled with flowers.

"See that vase over there?" she nudged him and pointed to the table. Aang looked up, eyes still gleaming with tears, and nodded. "See that panda lily?" He nodded again, confused.

"It was once on top of a volcano. Surrounded by a lot of other panda lilies. I'm sure that it was beautiful on top of that volcano," she paused and looked down at him. He had straightened up a bit, but was still slouching on her shoulder. She continued. "And then someone picked it and brought it down from the volcano. The next day, the volcano exploded, and the other panda lilies got caught in the eruption. But, this Panda Lily," she reached up and delicately stroked a petal of the flower. "This Panda Lily, as you know, wasn't there. Instead, it was put in a vase with a bunch of other flowers. These flowers might not have grown in the same place… but see how wonderful they all look together?"

Aang smiled lightly. He smiled. Katara let out a relieved sigh.

"I love you, Katara," he took her in his arms and she rest her head on his chest.

"Love you too," she mumbled.

"What's all the ruckus?" Toph stumbled sleepily into the room.

"Sorry Toph. Did we wake you?" Katara turned her head to ask the girl.

The sixteen year old grumbled. "Are you kidding?" she replied sarcastically. "You two were louder than a couple of screaming hog monkeys." Her voiced softened. "So, are you guys okay?"

"We're good, Toph. Sorry for waking you," Katara muttered kindly.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't do it again," she scowled and walked back down the hall.

When Katara was sure Toph was back in her room, she looked up at Aang. "So, are you really okay, now?"

He smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I'm alright, now. Thanks."

"I better not find you in the corner at night anytime soon," she punched him playfully on the arm.

"You won't," he grinned. "We better get some sleep now, huh?"

She nodded and climbed out of his lap. Aang wrapped an arm around her waist and they walked out down the hall towards their bedroom.

But not before he took the Panda Lily from the vase and placed it in her hair.

A/N: _So, I'm actually really happy about the way this turned out. I realize that Aang is a little OOC and all, but most people are really out of character when they're hysterical. =P. Also, I did this story this way, because all of the other one's I read are about Aang giving Katara a panda lily in some manner. So, yeah. Hope you liked it! Reviews are greatly appreciated! Over and out._


End file.
